Flash Floods triggered by cloudbursts wreaked havoc in several villages of Kokernag and Verinag areas of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Thursday, officials said.
A senior official said a cloudburst hit Kokernag on Wednesday night, triggering flash floods in Brengi Nallah that damaged several houses, roads, standing crops, orchards and water pipelines in Vail, Gohan, Ahlan Gadole, Fromu, Luher Sanzi, and Magraypora areas.
Machines have been put into service to remove boulders, muck and stones accumulated by the flash floods, sub-divisional magistrate Kokernag, Muhammad Rauf Rehman told Kashmir Post.
He said decrease in carrying capacity of the Brengi Nallah led to submergence of several villages, affecting road connectivity and damaging many culverts as well.
“Dozens of houses have incurred partial damage while two masjids have suffered severe damage,” the SDM said.
He said water supply and electricity were disrupted and would be possibly restored by Thursday.
A cloudburst also hit Kapran area of Verinag in Dooru tehsil, resulting in rise in water level in Veth-Vethastu Nallah.
“Four houses were damaged in Dodwogun village after water entered there due to blockage of Nallah with boulders and wooden logs,” said an official in Dooru sub-district.
He said residential houses, roads and crops also suffered damage in Kapran.
In Kulgam district, officials said flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains and cloudbursts caused damage to crops and orchards in Nandmarg and Chimar villages of DH Pora.
Meanwhile, incessant rains in the Valley over the past three days resulted in increase in water level in several major Nallahs in South Kashmir including Vaishaw, Sandran, Rambiara, Tongri, Aripal, Aaripat, Brengi, Veth Vathastu and Lidder—the tributaries of river Jhelum.
The river Jhelum originating from Verinag is swelling in Khanabal, Bijbehara, Sangam, Awantipora and Pampore, according to official sources. However, there is no immediate threat of floods, they said.
Minister Reviews Suitation
Minister of State for Hajj & Auqaf, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Power, Industries and Commerce, Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi visited Dooru constituency on Wednesday and assessed damage caused due to cloudburst there last evening.
He was informed that 13 water supply schemes were damaged while power supply remains interrupted.
The minister also visited affected areas including Dudgagan and Qamar villages and took stock of the damage to the property and crops, an official spokesman said.
Andrabi also directed the PHE department to start construction work on protection bund on both sides of Dudgagan Nallah immediately. He also asked them to go for widening of the Nallah.
He also asked the Public Works department to raise bund on both sides at approach road near Dudgagan Bridge.
